Shakespeare wrote:

“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts…”

The summer, the Haul Pass, a new fare card for youth 18 and under, gives teens (and kids) unlimited bus and rail rides all summer long, plus discounts at Go Local partner businesses.

Austin is the stage. The Haul Pass is your ticket. What role will you play?

• The Professional
  • Heads to a summer job, an internship, or volunteer work.
  • Checks the trip planner on the computer the night before work to plan the day. Always arrives 5 to 10 minutes before the scheduled departure.
  • Scans the QR code on the bus stop or texts the cross-streets or Stop ID to Dadnab (512-981-6221) to find out the next departure time
  • Keeps on budget, uses GoLocal discounts for food and well earned entertainment after a hard day at work.
• The Scholar
  • Uses the time spent commuting by bus or train to read books and periodicals, for summer reading lists and summer courses, from the Austin Public Library and BookPeople (using Go Local discount, off course).
  • By summer’s end, will have taken tours of all 5 colleges in Austin– Austin Community College, Concordia, Hutson-Tillotson University, St Edward’s, and University of Texas at Austin.
• The Explorer
  • On a mission to ride every single bus route and travel all 32 miles of MetroRail, geocaching all the while.
  • Knows friendly bus operators by name.
  • Bookmarks the schedules and maps webpage, and has a hard copy of the Destinations schedule book ($3 at the Transit Store) to keep track or plan daily adventures.
  • Is extremely familiar with stayoffthetracks.com and oli.org (Operation Lifesaver).
  • May have earned a Girl Scout rail safety patch or a Boy Scouts railroading merit badge.
  • System map in a pocket, Go-Line memorized (512-474-1200), knows this travel training will pay off in future adult life, filled with visits to other major cities around the US, a study abroad college semester, and who knows, maybe a win on Amazing Race (or at least a local scavenger hunt like Challenge Nation).
• The Artist
  • Carries a journal or sketchbook, a great pen, a digital camera (or cell phone).
  • Reads poetry on the bus enroute to visits to Art in Public Places, The Blanton Museum, the Carver Museum,  Mexic-Arte, the Texas State Capitol, Austin Symphony, Austin Playhouse, The Hideout, and much, much more…
  • Tweets images of beauty around town. #HaulPass
  • Takes a class or two at Ballet Austin or lessons in theater at Zach Scott.
• Community Organizer
  • Stays connected. #textingwhileriding
  • Searches newspapers and blogs for calendar listings of guest speakers and author talks and uses the trip planner to figure out how to get from spot to spot.
  • Keeps up with Project Connect (regional partnership exploring high-capacity transit options in Central Texas)
  • Gets friends to carpool to a Park and Ride, then journey together via Capital Metro to Barton Springs, parks and recreation centers, the mall, the movies, etc.
  • Supports local businesses, checking Go Local for businesses near destinations.
  • Convinces a parent into to try riding transit to work for a day, and consider joining a vanpool for commute. Or takes a family outing using the bus or train, like a ride across town for lunch with a grandparent, aunt or uncle.
• The Athlete
  • An expert on loading a bike onto onboard bikeracks on MetroBus or MetroRail. Knows how to do on the spot repairs after having built 2 bikes from scratch for free at Yellow Bike Project.
  • Crosstrains throughout the summer hiking, biking, swimming, boating, jogging and mixing it up with a little frisbee and hula hooping for kicks.
  • Walks to a bus stop or rail station to get that pedometer walking mileage in. 
  • Find lots of businesses on Go Local offering discounts for fitness and wellness, like yoga classes and rock climbing.
  • Explores Town Lake, Zilker Park, Pease Park, the YMCA, Austin Parks and Recreation, and more.
  • Uses the trip planner to figure out the best routes to get to practices, games, and the gym on time.
• The Environmentalist.
  • Committed to reducing Austin’s carbon footprint. Knows all too well the benefits of transit.
  • Is often seen hanging out with Sierra Club Austin, Keep Austin Beautiful, Urban Roots, and Austin Youth River Watch youth.
  • Goes bird watching, and keeps a sharp 
  • look out for cows, deer, and other fauna and flora seen from a MetroRail ride to and from Leander to Downtown.
  • Always carries a reusable tote bag and refillable water bottle, especially when toting home goodies from local farmers’ markets (like the ones at Republic Square or MLK MetroRail Station).

The great thing about being a teen is you can be all these things. No need to permanently decide which route to take. And with unlimited bus and rail trips, you don’t have to.

So where will your Haul Pass take you this summer?

Tweet your adventures #haulpass